


Canine Companion

by UndercoverAvenger



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: M/M, Mostly Fluff, Rich can turn into a doggo, The Shapeshifter AU that no one asked for, and lucky for him Michael's a dog person, expensive headphones, mostly - Freeform, shapeshifter AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-23 15:04:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 15,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17685752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UndercoverAvenger/pseuds/UndercoverAvenger
Summary: Rich had never told anyone that he was a shapeshifter. It was strange, and different; who could say what would happen if anyone found out. Then again, using his gift to get closer to his friend/crush Michael Mell couldn't be such a bad thing, could it?





	1. Strays and Staying the Night

**Author's Note:**

> An rp that me and one of my friends did that I edited and decided to post with their permission. Believe it or not, this is nowhere near the longest one we've done.

The german shepherd barked and dropped his chest to the ground, tail wagging playfully behind him as he looked up at Michael. Rich had never told anyone that he was a shapeshifter. It was strange, and different; who could say what would happen if anyone found out. Even his own family didn't know, well, his father and brother didn't. His mom had been one too but she had never told anyone, so telling was out of the question for him too. Rich barked and jumped to his paws, chasing his tail before sitting down and panting.

Michael smiled widely, tossing his backpack aside and dropping to his knees in the grass to play with the fluffy dog. He reached out, ruffling the fluffy scruff of the dog’s neck as it sat down in front of him. “Who’s a good boy?” Michael asked, scratching behind the shepherd’s ears.

Rich leaned his head into Michael’s hand at the attention. He yapped in response, trying to answer. He closed his eyes as Michael found the sweet spot behind his ear. He laid down and rolled over onto his back, stretching out for Michael to rub his belly.

Michael smiled, giving the doggo’s tummy a Good ScratchTM before he noticed something. The dog wasn’t wearing a collar. He reached around the back of the dog’s neck to check for a microchip, continuing to pamper the large dog with attention so he wouldn’t freak out. “Hey, buddy, are you lost? You look pretty well cared for to be a stray…” He glanced at his watch. 7:30 p.m. “It’s pretty late for a handsome boy like you to be running around all by yourself… Do you wanna come stay the night with me?”

Rich leapt up as Michael mentioned taking him home with him. He barked and ran a circle around him before jumping up and pawing at him. He bounded away before running back to Michael, excitedly trying to get the other to start moving. To say Rich had a crush on him would be an understatement, but, naturally, he hadn't said anything; Michael was his friend so he figured it’d be too weird to bring it up and Michael’s friendship meant too much to him to risk losing over something simple like that. The fact that he had the chance to spend the night at Michael's house was exciting though. It would be fun, though kind of awkward since he wouldn’t know the dog was actually Rich. He ignored that thought; having time to spend with Michael was all he cared about, whether he was in human form or not.

Michael smiled, “Well, I guess I’ll take that as a yes.” He picked up his backpack before starting the trek back to his house, reaching down to ruffle the dog’s fur as they walked. “Normally I’d have driven, but I let Jeremy borrow my car so he could take his girlfriend on a date,” He shrugged, looking down at his four-legged companion, “I don’t mind the walk though, I wouldn’t have bumped into you if I drove.” He turned into the driveway of a moderately sized house and unlocked the front door, holding it open for the shepherd. “My moms will be fine with you staying the night, just don’t pee in the house or they’ll skin you,” he paused, “and then probably me for letting it happen.” He made his way up the stairs, leading the dog into his room and flopping down on the bed.

Rich stayed at Michael’s side, keeping close enough for Michael to reach without tripping him. Every once in a while, he’d glance up at Michael while he was talking, hanging onto every word. He enjoyed listening to him talk, even if Rich couldn’t respond when he was a dog. He let out a quiet bark; the last thing he needed was for Michael’s moms to get mad at him and kick him out. He followed Michael up the stairs to his room, jumping up on the bed with his friend and curling up against him with a content sigh.

Michael smiled softly, wrapping his arm around the dog and turning his gaze to his TV where an old Teen Titans episode was playing. “You’re really soft, you know that?” He nuzzled his face into the dog’s fur, “And warm too.” He cuddled closer, eyes drifting closed as he curled around the canine.

Rich snuggled back against Michael, turning his head to lick Michael’s hand where it rested on his side. He stayed awake until he was sure that he was asleep. Then, as he felt Michael’s breathing slow, the dog let his eyes finally close and he drifted off into a dreamless slumber.


	2. Toilet Trauma

When Michael’s alarm went off the following morning, he was greeted by a wet tongue and doggy breath. He laughed, pushing the large German Shepherd off of him and giving him a quick ear scratch before forcing himself out of bed and into his attached bathroom to get ready for school.

Rich was content to remain snuggled up to Michael, but he couldn’t help the whine that escaped him when Michael got out of bed; he didn’t want him to go to school and leave Rich behind. He hopped off the bed and looked around the room, inwardly smirking as he spotted Michael’s shoes; if Michael couldn’t find his shoes, he couldn’t leave. He snatched one up in his jaws, searching for a good spot to hide it. He padded over to the bathroom, sticking his nose in the crack of the door and pushing it open. He glanced around before eyeing the small space behind the toilet. He carefully set the shoe down, pushing it back between the toilet and the wall before hearing the water shut off. Panic shot through Rich as he looked around for some way to hide.  _ Well, when you look like a dog, act like a dog _ , he supposed, sighing mentally as he thrust his snout into the toilet bowl.  _ So not worth it,  _ he thought, keeping his eyes closed so he could pretend he wasn’t in this situation.

Michael stepped out of the shower, having already tied a towel around his waist, and laughed when he noticed his stray’s predicament. “C’mon buddy, no more toilet water for you.” 

Rich looked up and over his shoulder as he heard Michael speak. He stared at Michael’s bare chest,  _ So worth it. _

He wrapped his arms around the dog’s middle, lifting him up into the air and away from the toilet, the dog’s back pressed tight against Michael’s chest as he carried him back into the bedroom.

As he was lifted into the air, Rich tried not to squirm until he was set down. Immediately, Rich went looking for Michael’s hoodie, finding it on the floor and curling up on it as he watched his friend get ready. After seeing what was under it, there was no way he was letting Michael put that hoodie back on until he was forcibly moved from it.

Michael went about his routine, completely oblivious to the dog’s gaze trained on his torso. He glanced around the room, brows furrowing as he looked for his signature hoodie. “Huh, that’s funny; I swear I set it right-” his eyes caught on a flash of red poking out from under the German Shepherd’s side. He walked over, giving a slight tug on the piece of fabric, “Hey, I know it’s comfy, but I need that.”

Rich groaned and turned his head away, refusing to get up. If he gave up the hoodie, Michael would put it back on, and that would be a damn shame. He curled himself up tightly, trying to make it harder for Michael to pick him up.  _ You are not leaving me. I’m not going to let you. _

Michael rolled his eyes at the dog’s stubbornness, tugging one more time at the arm of the hoodie before giving up, “Fine, you win this round.” He stood and made his way to his closet, pulling out a random shirt and tugging it on. He grabbed a pair of shoes from his closet and pulled them on, tying the laces and moving to grab his backpack.

Rich picked up his head and watched as Michael moved away.  _ He left the hoodie… just like that? That’s all it took? Damn, I should have tried that a long time ago!  _ He whined as Michael put on a different pair of shoes.  _ Well, that was wasted effort. _ He quickly jumped up as Michael headed for his backpack. He grabbed the strap and dragged it back to the hoodie, laying on top of it with the strap of the backpack in his mouth.

Michael looked at the dog, surprised at how determined he seemed to be to keep him away from his school supplies. He knelt down next to the large dog and gave a sharp tug at his backpack. “I kind of need that, buddy.” The dog didn’t budge. “Fine, no more belly rubs for you.” Michael teased, rolling his eyes as he unzipped the backpack and pulling his textbooks out. “Guess I’m getting a bicep workout today,” he shrugged turning and making his way out of the room, leaving the dog with his now-empty backpack and his hoodie.


	3. Michael Without his Hoodie? Must be the Apocalypse

Rich whimpered; he hadn’t wanted to make Michael mad, just to delay him a while. As Michael left, Rich stayed curled up on the hoodie for a bit, burying his nose in it. He made his way down the stairs after a while, hearing Michael’s moms in the kitchen. He whined and scratched at the front door until one of the women came to let him out. He then ran down the driveway, heading for his own home so he could get some clothes and his backpack. He didn’t make it into class until after the first period was over. He walked in just as the bell to end class rang. He smirked when he saw Michael without his hoodie. He ambled up to his friend and slapped him on the shoulder. “What happened to the hoodie? Your boyfriend steal it?” he teased.

Michael grinned, trying to hide the flinch from the slap to his arm; Rich may be small, but he was powerful. “I’ve told you, like, fifty times, dude; Jeremy’s not my boyfriend. He’s not going to be anytime soon, either. He’s straight and I like someone else.”  Michael glanced away, not wanting to discuss his love life or that he’d let a dog dictate his fashion choices. “As for the hoodie thing, well, I just decided against wearing it today; it’s hot and I didn’t feel like wearing a sweater in a heat wave.”

Rich chuckled and leaned against the wall. “I wasn't particularly talking about Jeremy. Figured someone else was probably walking around with it.” He shrugged and smiled, knowing he was the reason Michael's hoodie was missing. “So what were you up to last night?”

Michael chuckled, shifting his hold on his textbooks, “Oh, um, not a whole lot, mostly just video games, you know? I must’ve been pretty tired ‘cause I passed out pretty early.” Michael  _ was not _ going to let it get out that he’d picked up a stray dog, because then he’d get a swarm of people telling him that he should just adopt the large shepherd if he couldn’t find the owner. It wasn’t like he’d be opposed to the idea, but if he did end up taking in the fluffy dog, he wanted it to be his own choice.

Rich nodded, “Pretty much the same thing for me. Video games until I passed out some time this morning. That's why I was late.” He shifted the strap of his backpack and looked at the textbooks in Michael's arms. “No backpack? What, did you decide not to bring that either?” He chuckled and raised an eyebrow curious as to how he'd explain that one.

Michael froze, “Oh, that. Uh, I got a couple new patches to put on it last night and only got a few of them attached all the way. There were one or two that I wanted to go back and reinforce before I risked bringing it into the demolition derby that is high school.” He laughed, running a hand through his hair nervously, hoping that Rich would buy his lie.

Rich nodded, holding back his chuckle. “I guess that's understandable. Maybe try and do one at a time next time. You want some help? My class is only a couple down from yours.” He smiled and held out a hand to take Michael's books for him.

“Nah, it’s fine; my moms had me sewing before I could tie my own shoes. I can definitely manage to attach a couple patches by myself.” Michael grinned teasingly, swatting Rich’s hand away, “I may not be as swole” He said the word mockingly, imitating the school’s typical Dudebros TM , “as you are, but I’m no Jeremy. See, look at these guns!” He flexed jokingly, not actually making an effort to show off his muscles, merely flexing for the sake of his joke.

Rich laughed and playfully admiring Michael's biceps, “Excuse me for assuming you were a damsel in distress. I should have known a prince could handle himself.” He winked, a very faint dusting of pink on his cheeks. “Okay, seriously, do you want some help? You are going to get really tired of carrying those or crash into someone by the end of the day.”

Michael grinned, blushing slightly at Rich’s flirtiness, “Thanks for the offer, but I’ve got it; trust me, a couple of books is nothing.” He winked at Rich, “Besides, a prince needs to be strong enough to fight for his lady, right?”

Rich rolled his eyes, “What lady? We both know you aren't looking for a lady.” 

Michael laughed, moving to leave the classroom and make his way to his next class, “You got me there, Rich; this prince is one hundred percent into dudes.” He moved like he was going to adjust the hood of his sweatshirt before pausing and dropping his hand, having realized that he’d left it home with the stray.

“I guess your prince charming is probably waiting for you somewhere then, or a knight in shining armor. Whatever floats your boat.” Rich chuckled as he watched Michael reach for his hood, “You really are lost without your hoodie aren’t you?”

He grinned awkwardly, “I mean, I’ve worn it basically every day since Freshman year, so it’s kind of really weird to not be wearing it…” Michael trailed off, glancing away from the shorter male, embarrassed.

Rich nodded, "Well, it's practically a part of you, so I can understand that." He rubbed the back of his neck, blushing. "You know, if you're really uncomfortable, I probably have a jacket in my locker you can use."

“It’s not that, it’s just- different, I guess?” Michael smiled, deciding to tease Rich a little further, “If you wanted me to wear your jacket, all you had to do was ask,” he flirted.

Rich flushed even darker and stared down the hallway, refusing to make eye contact. "I'm just trying to help. If you don't want it, you don't have to wear it."

Michael grinned, “I’m okay right now; I’d hate to get dog hair all over your sweatshirt. Thanks anyways though!” The brunet grinned, ruffling Rich’s hair before excusing himself to go run to his next class.


	4. Fetch

After the final bell that day, Rich ran straight home before shifting back into a German Shepherd again. He immediately sprinted toward Michael’s house, curling up on the porch to wait for Michael to return.

Michael looked up from his phone, raising an eyebrow as he noticed the dog waiting for him on the porch, “Hey bud, how’d you get out? My moms said they were going to keep you in the backyard while I was gone.” He reached down to give the large canine a scratch behind the ears as he unlocked the door, letting both of them into the house. “I called the animal shelter today to see if anyone had reported you missing but they didn’t have any information. Neither did any of the online groups for people looking for lost pets…” He glanced down at the dog as he entered his room, “Just where did you come from?” he wondered, trying to think of a way to find his owner.

Rich jumped to his feet, tail wagging when Michael held the door open for him. He followed Michael to his bedroom before hopping up on the bed and sprawling out.  _ Try all you want but no one is going to claim me. _ He tipped his head to the side as he watched his friend make himself at home.  _ I came from outer space and I’m here to take over the world. Fear me human. _

Michael smiled down at the dog, thinking it was cute how comfortable the shepherd had made himself in his bedroom. “Don’t get too cozy, buster; as soon as we find your owner, you’ve got to go back home.” He sat down next to the dog, burying his face in the soft fur, “As much as I’d rather keep you.”

Rich huffed at the mention of leaving, though going home really wasn’t what was going to happen. His dad probably hadn’t even noticed he hadn’t been home last night, but what would it matter if he had? Rich turned his head, trying to lick Michael’s face. When he couldn’t reach, he aimed for the only thing he could get to, Michael’s neck.

Michael squirmed, huffing as the large dog licked his neck, “No! Bad dog; no neck kisses!” He wiggled, trying to escape the persistent dog’s shower of affection. He fell back against the pillows on his bed, using his arms to try and stop the assault, laughing wildly at the ticklish sensation.

Rich pounced and continued trying to lick Michael’s face. After a moment, he hopped off the bed, chasing his tail in a couple of circles before barking at Michael. He wanted to move, to run, do anything. 

Michael laughed, “Okay, okay,” he stood up, heading for the door, “We can go for a walk, just no wandering off, alright?” He lead the way out of the house, heading towards the park a few blocks away.

Rich kept barking and running in circles around Michael, trying to hurry him up. When the park was finally within view, Rich bolted, running as far as he could without losing sight of Michael before running back. He barked and ran around his friend before jumping up and putting his paws on Michael's chest.

Michael chuckled, rubbing the top of the shepherd’s head, “Okay, bud, you can go play. Go get some of that energy out.” Michael gently removed the dog’s paws, setting him back onto all four legs before making his way over to a shady patch of grass under a tree and sitting down.

Rich followed Michael to the tree before whining as he sat down. The pup huffed and looked around. If he couldn’t get Michael to run, he’d just make him play differently. Rich ran around a few trees before picking up a decent sized stick in his jaws and running back to drop it in Michael’s lap with a bark.

“Oh, you wanna play fetch, huh? Okay.” Michael grinned, grabbing onto the end of the stick and tugging it away from the shepherd, winding back his arm and launching the stick as far as he could in the opposite direction. 

Rich’s chest dropped to the ground as he waited for the stick to leave Michael’s hand, sprinting off in the direction it flew as soon as it was released. The dog slid in the grass before snatching up the stick and heading back to his friend. He dropped the stick in Michael’s lap and ran a couple circles around the tree before sitting and waiting for the stick again.

The brunet laughed at the big dog’s antics, “Okay, okay.” He threw the stick again, trying to throw it even further than before. He grinned as the shepherd tore off after the twig, attention only being drawn away as he heard his name getting called. He grinned widely as he noticed Jeremy approaching him, “Hey, Jer!” He stood up, hugging his best friend as he got close.

Rich came back with the stick and whined as he saw Jeremy; this was  _ his  _ chance to hang out with Michael. Jeremy was constantly with him, so why couldn’t Rich have a turn? He pushed his way between them with a grumble, trying to get Michael’s attention back onto him.

Michael pulled away from Jeremy, looking down at the dog, “Sorry dude, I wasn’t watching you fetch, was I?” He knelt down and tried to wrestle the stick away from him, “Here, I’ll throw it really far this time.”

Rich whined and sat at Michael’s feet, watching him throw the stick but not chasing after it. He wanted Michael’s full attention, not just between throws. He huffed and laid down on Michael’s feet, looking up at Jeremy.  _ Not sharing this time tall-ass; he’s mine today. _

Michael cocked his head, “No more fetch?” He shrugged, sitting down next to the dog and scratching behind his ears, right where he’d figured out that he liked it. He sighed when he noticed the confused look on his best friend’s face, “I found him yesterday and I’m trying to find his owners. He’s staying with me for the time being and I guess he just doesn’t like strangers.”

“It’s okay, buddy; I’m not going to hurt you,” Jeremy grinned, kneeling down next to his friend and holding out his hand for the dog to smell.

Rich leaned back into Michael’s hand, closing his eyes briefly when he found the sweet spot. He leaned forward to sniff Jeremy’s hand, before huffing and turning put his head in Michael’s lap. He knew he couldn’t really growl at Jeremy; that would just make Michael mad, so general indifference was his best option.

Michael’s brows furrowed, “Huh, that’s weird; he doesn’t usually act like that…” He looked down at the German Shepherd, “I wonder if he’s just feeling kind of overwhelmed.” He looked back to Jeremy, “Sorry, Jer, I should probably take him home. Can we take a raincheck on AoTD night?” Jeremy nodded, waving as he turned away and headed back the way he’d come. Michael ruffled the dog’s fur and lifted his head from his lap, getting to his feet. “C’mon, let’s head home.”

**Rich jumped to his paws and followed Michael, tail swaying behind him happily. He’d gotten some of his energy out, so that was enough. He glanced behind them  Jeremy, sticking to Michael as close as possible without tripping him. _For once, I managed to drag him away from gaming with Jeremy. That never works! How could this night get any better?_ **


	5. Patches

Michael lead the dog back into his room, closing the door behind them and turning on the TV. He sighed, watching as the German Shepherd jumped up onto the bed and curled up with his head on his paws. “What was that about, huh? I know it’s not just that he was a stranger, since you’ve acted really friendly towards me and my moms… Maybe you could just tell that Jer’s a cat person?” Michael shrugged. He looked over at the dog thoughtfully, “I don’t know how you aren’t dying; it’s so hot in here.” Michael tugged off his shirt, flopping down on the bed next to the large dog and turned his attention to the show playing on the TV.

Rich avoided looking at Michael as he talked about Jeremy, but when he complained about the heat, Rich’s eyes were drawn back to his friend, fixed to the newly exposed flesh.  _ Note to self, burn the hoodie.  _ When Michael laid down, Rich rolled over on his back, leaning his head on Michael’s chest and attempting to give his chin a lick.

“Okay, okay, I get it; you just want attention,” Michael laughed as the dog tried to give him affection. He sat up, leaning over the dog to give him a belly rub. “Wait a second…” He paused, leaning back to look at the dog, “Is that why you were acting strange? Were you jealous that I was paying attention to Jeremy and not to you?”

Rich groaned and rolled over again, curling up and tucking his nose under his tail.  _ I don’t have to answer that question. You wouldn’t know if I did, but I’m not going to answer it. _ He huffed and turned his head toward the TV so he didn’t have to look at Michael.

The brunet chuckled, “Alright, you tsundere, we don’t have to talk about feelings anymore.” He rolled his eyes, laying back against his pillows and draping an arm around the dog’s side as he turned back to the television.

Rich picked up his head as Michael shifted. He pushed himself closer and turned around so he could lay his head on Michael’s chest again, content to just cuddle.  _ You would probably be so mad if you found out who I was. If I could just stay a dog forever I would, but I can’t. _

Michael jerked upright, “Shit!” He looked apologetically at the dog, “I forgot I needed to change my backpack!” He wriggled out from under the dog, retrieving his backpack from where it’d been left that morning and tossing it onto his desk chair before rifling through one of his desk drawers. He stood up triumphantly, a couple of patches and a spool of thread clutched in his hands. He caught the dog’s confused stare and felt the need to explain himself, “I may have said that the reason I didn’t have my backpack was that I was putting new patches on it. If I show up to school without any new ones, Goranski’s never going to let me live it down.”

Rich groaned and rolled over.  _ Why did I have to give him crap about the backpack? I should have just kept my mouth shut. Stupid! _ The pup shifted onto his back with a huff. Resigning himself to the fact that Michael was done with Cuddle Time TM , he hopped off the bed and went to sit beside him, curious about the new patches, and how Michael actually sewed them on.

The brunet looked down at the dog, “You like patches?” He chuckled, pulling one of the patches and showing it to the dog. It read ‘Gay as Fuck.’ “What do you think?” He grinned, cutting a bit of thread and positioning the patch where he wanted it on his backpack, “Hmm, maybe I should just start calling you Patch? I can’t just keep calling you dog forever…”

Rich huffed at the name. It wasn’t exactly his top pick, but it would do. He sniffed the bag before resting his head against Michael’s thigh. The more he stayed out of the way, the sooner Michael would be finished and he would have Michael’s undivided attention again. He laid down at Michael’s feet and watched his friend scrutinize the bag before placing any of the patches in their permanent place.

Michael finally decided on the placement of the patch and began stitching it on, “You know, maybe I should’ve left the patches off; it’d give me an excuse to talk to Rich again.” He was silent for a moment, “He’s a cool guy; I have no idea why he keeps talking to me. Like, I get that he and Jeremy bonded over the SQUIP thing, or whatever, but I don’t really understand where I fit in. I keep waiting for him to realize that he’s way too cool to be stuck with me, even without that fucking floppy disk.” He shrugged, tying off the thread, and reaching for his next patch.

_ Stuck with you? I’m not stuck with you…  _ The pup cocked his head to the side as he looked up at Michael, whining softly,  _ I stick around because I like you. Because you’re fun and one of the few people that didn’t hate me or give me shit after the fire.  _ He sat up and set his head in Michael’s lap and a paw on his leg as he looked up at the guy.  _ You don’t need an excuse to talk to me; I’m always gonna be there to listen to whatever you wanna say. _

The dog’s reactions gave Michael pause, “What?” He narrowed his eyes, “Uh-uh, I get enough shit about liking Rich from Jeremy; I don’t need you to start too.” He shook his head, turning back to attaching the second patch, “Sorry Patch, no confession here; no can do.” Michael kept his gaze on his hands, avoiding eye contact with the dog and trying to hide his flustered blush. “Besides, there’s no way he’d actually like a loser like me.”

Rich sat back up and snorted.  _ You don’t know it but you just confessed.  _ He laid back down but kept looking up at Michael. He had never dared to think that his friend would actually felt the same way about him. There had been a little flirting but he’d thought it was just teasing, the same way he and Jake used to. He whined and gave a soft bark, looking Michael dead in the eye.  _ I like you too; I’ll just have to prove it to you. _

Michael’s eyes narrowed as the dog watched him, “What’re you looking at, huh?” He laughed, starting to attach the third patch. “You look like you’re scheming.” He reached down, ruffling the dog’s ears. “It’s too bad I couldn’t just adopt you; I’ve always wanted a dog but my moms said we just hadn’t found the right one.”

Rich huffed and set his head down on his paws.  _ Yeah, adopting me into the family probably isn’t the best idea. It’d probably make it difficult to ask you out. ‘Hey, that stray you adopted? The one that’s been sleeping with you? Yeah, that’s me. Wanna go out with me?’ I’m sure that would go over perfectly. _ He walked over to the other side of the room where Michael’s hoodie was still laying on the floor. He curled up on it with a whimper. If he asked Michael out, eventually he’d have to meet Michael’s ‘dog’, but if he stayed the dog, he’d only ever get to see Michael at school or people would start assuming he had gone missing.

Michael held the backpack out at arm’s reach, examining it thoughtfully. He grinned brightly, “Done.” He stood up, setting the bag to the side and stretching, “Alright, that’s enough productivity from me; time for a nap.” He headed for his closet, quickly changing into a pair of pajama pants before throwing himself down on his bed. He smiled as he noticed Patch cuddling his hoodie, eyes drifting shut as he curled up under the blankets.

Rich heard Michael get up from his desk and move around. When Michael settled down in his bed, Rich got up off the floor and hopped up beside him, curling up beside the teen with his head resting lightly against his shoulder. Who cared what was about to happen? He wasn’t going to lose sleep over it. For now, all he wanted was to spend time snuggled up against Michael and drift off. He nuzzled his nose into Michael’s side before allowing himself to sink into slumber.


	6. Stuck

When Michael woke up before Patch the following morning, he had a plan. He carefully extracted himself from the tangle of dog and blankets, making sure not to wake the shepherd, before making a break for his hoodie. He snatched the bundle of red fabric off of the floor and hung it up in his closet, setting his backpack in the closet as well for good measure. He shut the door behind him, making sure that the dog wouldn’t be able to wedge the door open, before turning and heading for the bathroom to shower, certain that he’d be back in his hoodie in time for school that day.

Rich woke up shortly after the water kicked on. He blinked and stretched, noticing that Michael was gone. He recognized the sound of the running water and hopped off the bed. He looked around, wanting to curl up on Michael's hoodie again, but it was nowhere to be found. Rich stuck his nose in the air, searching for his own smell. It led him to the closet. His tail wagged,  _ Challenge accepted. _ He started pawing at the knob on the door until it turned and popped open. He looked around and found the backpack on the floor, but the hoodie wasn't with it. The dog's eyes shifted upward.  _ Bingo.  _ He jumped up, knocking the hanger off the rack. Rich slipped his nose up under the bottom hem of the hoodie, trying to wiggle his way in. He tried to pushed the hanger out, but it was stuck. His paws got tangled in the fabric as he attempted to back out of it. His paw caught under the door and pulled it closed. Realizing he was trapped within the straight jacket of a hoodie, he collapsed onto his side on the floor, waiting for Michael to return and help him.

Michael got out of the shower, heading back into his room to finish getting ready. His eyebrows furrowed as he realized that Patch was nowhere to be seen. He shrugged it off, figuring that one of his mothers must have let him out. He wandered over to his closet, planning on grabbing his hoodie before Patch found his way back, but his eyes widened at what he found. He snorted, laughing as he processed the situation that the large dog had gotten himself into. “You, uh, you need some help there, buddy?”

When light filtered through the red fabric on Rich’s face, he whimpered and squirmed slightly, unable to really do much else. He picked up his head up and tried to wiggle his nose out of the neck hole to look at Michael, but the hanger prevented anything more than the tip of his nose to stick out. He whined and flopped back down in defeat, waiting for a hand from the owner of the patch-covered prison he had gotten himself stuck in.

Michael chuckled, crouching down next to the dog. “Okay, buddy, do me a favor and stay still.” He gently worked the hanger out from the neck-hole of the sweatshirt, before grabbing the bottom hem of the hoodie and tugging it back up over the dog’s head, effectively freeing him. He rolled his eyes, tugging on the sweatshirt as he stood up. “Mine now, bitch.”

When the hoodie was removed, the pup jumped to his feet, tail wagging, finally free. He looked up at Michael, tail stopping immediately as he saw him putting on the hoodie. Rich whined and nosed at the hem of the hoodie, wanting it back.

Michael shook his head, “Nope; you had your hoodie time; now it’s my turn.” He turned around, leaving the closet to go finish getting ready. He rolled his eyes as Patch grumbled behind him, sitting down and refusing to leave the closet in protest. “You wanna stay in the closet? Okay, be my guest, just know that I won’t be going back in there; I came out once and I’m not going to do it again.”

Rich groaned and turned in a circle, curling up in a ball on the floor of the closet, facing away from Michael.  _ I’m not moving. You can’t make me. Hoodie or no love. Those are my terms. _

Michael ignored the German Shepherd’s complaints as he finished getting ready, looking at the dog blankly, “Really? You’re just going to pout?” He grabbed his backpack from beside the dog, tugging on his shoes as he moved to leave his bedroom. He stopped as Patch let out one more quiet whine, setting his bag aside with a huff. “Oh my God, you’re more dramatic than Jeremy.” He shucked off his hoodie, throwing it at the dog and watching as it dropped, covering Patch’s head, before leaving the room and heading off to school.

Rich jumped up as the hoodie landed on him, barking happily at Michael as he left.  _ Stage one complete. Now, I just have to get to school to execute stage two. _ He waited a bit before bounding down the stairs and whining at the door for one of Michael’s moms to let him out. As soon as he was outside, he was over the fence and sprinting home. He arrived just a couple minutes past the bell, which worked perfectly for his plan. He quickly made it to his locker and then Michael’s, leaving his green, zip-up hoodie for in the locker with a note. ‘Seemed like you might need this. There’s a storm moving in.’

When Michael made his way to his locker after first period, he was confused as he noticed the bundle of green fabric resting on top of his things. His brows furrowed as he read the note, a light grin on his face as he realized that the hoodie was Rich’s. He set down his bag and pulled on the sweatshirt, setting the note back in his locker and turning to make his way to his next class.

**Time Skip**

Rich waited until the end of the day before approaching Michael's locker. He leaned on the one next to it. "Hey, Michael. I see you're wearing my jacket." He rubbed the back of his neck and blushed slightly. "Are you staying warm?" He smiled and shifted his weight from foot to foot awkwardly, not knowing what to say to his crush/the person he'd slept next to for two nights.

Michael jumped, flushing slightly, “Oh, um, it’s just- um, it was in my locker so I just-” He glanced away, embarrassed that he’d been caught, “Yeah, I am, thanks.”

Rich chuckled at how flustered Michael was too. It made him feel a bit better. “I’m glad. I kind of left it there for you to wear after all, I just wasn’t sure if you’d take the offer. You did turn it down yesterday.” He relaxed and crossed his arms, giving Michael a small smirk, happy his plan had worked.

“Oh, um, thanks?” Michael replied, “I was planning on having my hoodie back by now, but, um, my roommate had other ideas.”

Rich’s eyebrows furrowed, “I thought you lived with your moms, what roommate?”

Michael glanced away, “I do, he’s, um, a recent development. It’s probably only temporary anyhow…”

Rich nodded, “I just find it odd that your roommate somehow stole your prized hoodie. Is he a five-year-old or something?”

Michael rolled his eyes, “I dunno; I haven’t exactly asked.” He looked away uncertainly, “We’re, uh, fostering him?”

Rich chuckled, “Yeah? You have a little foster brother now? That’s awesome. He’ll probably keep you pretty busy.”

Michael laughed, “I don’t know about ‘little brother,’ but he’s certainly a baby.”

Rich tried to suppress the slight irritation he felt at that, but he could understand why Michael would say that. “Well, you can keep my jacket until you can eventually take yours back, or longer. I’d be okay with that too.” He smiled and motioned toward the door. “I’ve got to get going. I’ll see you later.”

“Oh, okay,” Michael grinned, waving goodbye to his friend. “See you Monday!”


	7. Let. Me. Out!

Rich sprinted as fast as he could back to Michael’s. Luckily for him, Michael must’ve decided to stop off at Seven-Eleven for a slushie and hadn’t made it home yet. The dog jumped the short back fence and scratched at the door. One of Michael’s moms was home, letting him in before he slowly went up the stairs. He didn’t have long, so he hurried as he tugged at the hoodie on the floor by the closet until his head was in. In a matter of a few moments, his head was in the hood and one of his paws was in a sleeve. That was when he heard Michael’s car pull up. He quickly curled up on the floor, pretending like he’d been there napping all day.

Michael made his way up to his room tiredly, dropping his backpack beside the door as he switched on the light. He glanced around the room for Patch and his heart melted when he noticed the dog’s situation. He’d curled himself into Michael’s hoodie, squirming his way up and into the garment until he was wearing it mostly correctly. He lifted his head blearily when Michael walked in, tail thumping happily. Michael pulled out his phone, snapping a photo of the shepherd and setting it as the background on his phone. “Did you miss me, Patch?” He grinned, kneeling beside the dog and pushing the hood back so he could scratch at his ears, “I don’t know how you managed to get my hoodie on, but you look better in it than I do.” He gently reached around the dog’s chest and guided his trapped leg through the remaining sleeve. “Yep, you are one stylish pup.”

Rich looked up at Michael when he walked in, unable to help his wagging tail. He leaned into the ear scratch, panting softly. He let Michael help him before jumping up and spinning a couple of circles. His chest dropped to the ground as he barked at his friend, tail wagging at the human in front of him. 

Michael chuckled, sitting cross-legged in front of the dog, “Man, if I ever end up with a boyfriend, he’s gonna have to fight you for that hoodie, isn’t he?” He teased, ruffling the dog’s ears under the hood of the sweatshirt.

Rich pawed at Michael before rolling over onto his back, tipping his head innocently.  _ Well, seems like you have mine still, so it’s only fair.  _ He smiled at Michael, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth as he stretched out his paws.

Michael grinned, rubbing Patch’s tummy before cocking his head, “You’re not one of those dogs who gets super jealous when their owner gets into a relationship, are you?” He taunted, booping the dog on the nose playfully.

_ I guess that depends on who the person is. It won’t be a problem if it’s me. _ Rich shook his head and huffed as Michael poked his nose. He groaned and rolled over, away from Michael so he couldn’t reach his nose again. He curled up facing the other direction with another groan to show his displeasure.  _ Even as a dog I don’t like it, only this time I can’t do it back. _

Michael laughed, leaning forward to ruffle the dog’s fur again, “I’ll take that as a maybe then? Hopefully you like short brunets more than you liked Jeremy ‘cause I think I really like this one...” He sighed, getting up to flop on his bed.

Rich looked up at where Michael had flopped and tipped his head to the side, ears perked up curiously.  _ You better be talking about me or we’re gonna have a problem, Michael. _ He got up and padded to the edge of the bed, sniffing at Michael’s face to get his attention before tipping his head again, hoping he would elaborate.

Michael looked at the dog warily, “I don’t trust that look in your eyes; you look like you want gossip.” He crossed his arms under his head and stared back at the shepherd unflinchingly. He held the dog’s gaze for a moment before his resolve cracked, “Fine. What do you want to know?”

Rich sighed and looked away from Michael, trying to figure out how to convey his thoughts. He turned back to Michael and flopped his head onto the bed, nose touching the sleeve of the hoodie that Michael was wearing, sniffing it before looking up at the teen.

Michael followed the dog’s gaze and sighed, “Yes, this is his. He’s in my grade, but we weren’t really close until after the S.Q.U.I.P.ocalypse. It’s never going to happen though,” Michael trailed off, “Hell, I don’t know if he’s even interested in guys.”

The pup huffed and rolled his eyes.  _ No, not at all. That wasn’t why I specifically broke into your locker to give you my jacket. I couldn’t possibly be interested. _ He leaned his chin on Michael’s arm reassuringly.  _ Who knows, maybe I’ll actually ask you out the next time I get the chance. _

Michael chuckled bitterly, “It’s crazy; before the mess last year, I wouldn’t have thought twice about him, but after the fiasco at the play, all he’s been trying to do is make amends. Something about him trying to make up for his actions caught my attention and I haven’t been able to get him out of my head since.” He huffed, wrapping his arms around the dog and hiding his face in Patch’s fur. “I’ll be damned before I say anything though; last thing I need to do is scare off one of the few friends that I have aside from Jeremy.”

Rich gave a groan and pulled out of Michael’s grasp, crawling across the bed to carefully pick up Michael’s phone, handing it to him.  _ Text me and I’ll respond tomorrow morning when I change back. Even a call. It’s off. I’ll just say it died.  _ He wagged his tail and cocked his head to the side.

Michael raised an eyebrow, taking his phone from the dog, “Uh, no. No way; I’m not calling him. That is not a thing that’s happening. You and I both know I don’t have the confidence for that.”

Rich whined and nudged the phone.  _ Do it. You’re more chicken than Jeremy.  _ He picked up his front leg, pawing at the air like a wave before putting it down.  _ You don’t have to flirt. Just find an excuse to talk to me. I’ll find time to go message you tomorrow. _

Michael huffed, “Nooo,” he rolled over, pressing his face into the pillow, “I don’t even know what I’d say…”

Rich groaned again. He barked to get Michael’s attention. He picked up his paw and waved again.  _ Just start a damn conversation! If you don’t then I’m sleeping at my house tonight. _ The dog jumped down off the bed and sat on the floor.

Michael groaned, opening his text conversation with Rich before he could talk himself out of it. /Hey, random question/ he typed, /Are you a dog person or a cat person?/ Michael sent the text before turning to look at the dog, “There. Are you happy now?” He huffed, setting his phone aside and pulling off his glasses, “That’s enough thinking; I’m going to sleep.” He rolled over and shut his eyes, trying his best to not overthink the situation.

Rich barked happily before going to the door and whining, shifting back and forth between his paws. If Michael could let him out, he’d be able to go home and respond. He whimpered and looked back and forth between the door and Michael.

Michael huffed, rolling back over to stare at the shepherd, “If you want out, then you have to let me take the hoodie off of you. There’s no way I’m letting you take it out there.”

Rich huffed and wandered over, whimpering. He pawed at Michael, needing help to get the hoodie off. That was a fair deal at least. Then he wouldn’t end up getting it dirty or tearing it when he jumped fences or ran through puddles.

“Alright bud,” Michael sighed, getting up and gently guiding the dog out of his hoodie. He lead the way downstairs, peering out the front door before shooting another glance at the German Shepherd. “You sure you want out, Patch? It looks like it’s going to storm pretty bad…”

Rich whimpered and pawed at the door.  _ If you want a response before tomorrow, you have to let me out. I’ll be back before you know it; you’ll hardly even notice I’m gone. Plus, I’d rather not have your moms skin me alive for pissing in the house, so let me out! _

Michael sighed, opening the door and holding it open for him, “Fine, just be careful, okay? I don’t want you getting trapped in the storm.”

Rich ran out the door and around the side of the house so Michael wouldn’t see him disappear down the street.


	8. Well, shit.

The rain was already starting to come down in sheets, but that didn’t bother Rich. He turned the corner toward his neighborhood, slowing down as the rain made it more difficult to see. He had to take a moment to reorient himself, making sure he was on the correct street. He heard a car pull up behind him and rolled his eyes. He glanced over, unable to see the people through the lights. They probably just wanted to make sure he wasn’t lost, but it wouldn’t be the first time someone checked to see if he as a stray. The pup looked around, trying to read the street signs. The next thing he knew, there was something around his neck, pulling him toward the car. He yelped and fought, trying to pull his head out of the loop at the end of the pole.  _ This is bad! This is very bad! I should have just waited until morning to respond to Michael. Damn it, how do I get out of this? _

“It’s okay, boy. Don’t worry. We’re going to take you somewhere warm and dry. Calm down,” the man said as he gently tried to pull Rich toward the car.

“You know he’s not going to listen to you. Why do you keep trying?” said the other man from the driver seat.

“Because keeping calm helps them feel safe,” he smiled at the dog and knelt down. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to take you somewhere safe.”

Rich yanked at the catchpole but wasn’t able to break free. The other man got out and lifted the dog into the back of the van. The lead loosened slightly around his neck as they closed the door. He turned toward the metal grid, putting his paws up on it and whining.

“We’ll be there soon. Go lay down boy.”

_ You think I’m going to lay down? I want out! Let me out! _ He barked and whined circling around, wishing there was a way he could open the door without revealing his secret.

When they pulled up to the animal shelter, the door cracked open slightly and the man hurried to grab the end of the lead, preventing Rich from taking off running. “Get the door. I’ll get him inside.” The doors opened and Rich thrashed, growling and yanking at the leash, jerking his head wildly as he attempted to free himself. The man holding the lead pulled steadily, Rich’s nails and the pads of his feet dragging against the wet asphalt of the parking lot. “You’re going inside, mangy mutt.” The German Shepherd growled as the building door was closed behind him. His wet paws slid across the tile of the front room before tripping over the ledge into the back room. Other dogs started barking and whining as the door opened. Rich was dragged into a cage and released, growling and jumping at the fencing at the front of his area.

**_Shit! How am I supposed to get out of here?_ He looked around for a long while for some form of escape before settling into the dog bed in the corner. _I hope Michael finds me before I end up turning back._ **


	9. No Choice

Michael waited near the door for a few minutes, waiting for Patch to scratch at it to be let back in but when nearly twenty minutes passed without the dog returning, he started to get worried. He stepped out onto the porch, peering through the rain to try and locate the dog. “Patch?” He called, hoping the shepherd would come loping around the side of the house, tail wagging and tongue lolling out the side of his mouth happily. “C’mon, buddy! Patch?” When he still got no response, he sighed, pulling up his hood and stepping out into the rain and actively looking for him.

The yard was empty so Michael made his way out into the street, looking down the sidewalk in each direction. When he still couldn’t find the dog he made his way back into the house, hoping Patch had just taken refuge from the storm and knowing that if he hadn’t returned by morning, then Michael would go looking for him.

* * *

 

Morning rolled around and there was still no sign of Patch, so Michael pulled on his hoodie and made his way outside. He searched everywhere; he went to the park and checked under bushes, through the streets of downtown where he checked down alleyways, and even asked people that he passed whether they’d seen him. By the time the sun was starting to sink below the horizon, Michael was starting to worry more and more. He still hadn’t checked the pound, but he was holding out hope that Patch hadn’t been taken in.

He resigned himself to the idea that someone might’ve taken him in or that he’d gotten taken to the animal shelter. He sighed as he checked the time, knowing that the pound would definitely be closed by this point and that they’d be closed the next day since it would be a Sunday. Michael ran a hand through his hair, dropping onto his bed and gazing up at his ceiling. If Patch still hadn’t shown up by the time school let out on Monday, he would go check the pound.

* * *

 

Rich dozed off in the corner of his cell, at least it felt like prison. In the morning, a bowl was pushed under the door. “Here you go little guy. Maybe getting something to eat will help you perk up. Maybe your owner will come looking for you today.”

The German Shepherd huffed and rolled his eyes when the woman left.  _ He’s not really my owner, but I hope he does too. I don’t know how long I can stay like this.  _ The shapeshifter padded over to the kibble in the bowl, sniffing it and cringing.  _ Nope, I am not that desperate for food. If Michael gets me out, I’ll just disappear for a while to go get a hamburger or something. _

* * *

 

**Closing time rolled around and Rich jumped up as he heard the doors lock in the front room. _No! Nononononono! Michael hasn’t gotten here yet! If you close I’m going to be stuck here until Monday! I can’t be gone that long! Michael, where are you? You were supposed to get me out of here._ Rich couldn’t help but whimper as he thought about being left in this tiny room for the next two days. He paced across the tiny space for most of the night, wracking his brain for a way to escape. As the sun started to come up and light poured in through the back door leading to the yard, he finally sighed and resigned himself to the dog bed in the corner again. He was stuck until Monday. He had no choice. **


	10. I'll do anything!

Michael had been anxious all day; throughout all of his classes he couldn’t stop staring at the clock, and he couldn’t eat at lunch. He wasn’t paying attention when Jeremy spoke to him, and he couldn’t even bring himself to drink his slushie. When the final bell rang he made his way out to his car, and headed towards the animal shelter.

He stood outside the shelter apprehensively for a moment before making his way inside. He stopped to speak with the woman at the front desk for a moment before making his way back towards the room with the kennels.

* * *

 

Rich heard the door open and didn’t even move. He couldn’t count the number of people that had walked in all day, so getting excited wouldn’t be worth it just to be disappointed again. His back was to the fence, refusing to watch another person try to pick a dog. He heard the steps and huffed as he stared at the wall.  _ Nope, Michael’s not coming to get me. He would have come already. He would have come to get me on Saturday if he was going to. I’m not going to get my hopes up; it’s not worth being let down again. There’s only so many times a heart can crack before it shatters. _

* * *

 

Michael sighed softly as the caged dogs started barking and howling for his attention. He bit his lip, trying to ignore the way the whining tugged at his heart and started walking, looking into each pen just long enough to assure himself that the dog inside wasn’t Patch. He’d made his way down one side of the room and was about halfway down the other when he saw him. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and sank to his knees on the other side of the chain-link gate. “Hey, buddy,” he called softly, hoping he hadn’t gotten his hopes up for nothing and that this was really him.

Rich was listening to the other dogs go crazy as the person walked around. The other animals got louder and louder as the human approached his cell. His ears perked up and Rich quickly turned his head as Michael’s voice registered. The German Shepherd jumped to his feet and ran to the gate, putting his feet up on the fence and whining excitedly. He stuck his nose in a hole in the fencing and looked up at Michael with pleading eyes, his tail wagging behind him.  _ Oh thank god! You can get me out of here! They can open the door and you can take me home! _

Michael smiled at him, slipping his fingers through the wire and petting what he could reach of the large dog. “I’m sorry I didn’t come find you sooner; I hoped you hadn’t gotten busted by the animal cops, so I was mostly just looking around the city.”

Rich licked Michael’s hand and whined, pawing at the fence happily.  _ I forgive you. You’re here; that’s all that matters. Just get me out! _ His tail wagged quickly as he waited for the door to open.  _ Just tell them I was your dog that went missing and you can take me home. _

“Shit, you must’ve been so scared in here all weekend,” he sighed, ignoring the other dogs’ barking as the main door opened again, letting in a mother and her son. “At least you’re okay.”

Rich spun around dropping into a play bow.  _ Yes, I’m okay. I may have been a little scared, but who wouldn’t be when they could change back into a naked person at any moment? _ He barked happily, pawing at the gate and looking up at Michael.

Michael made to continue talking to the large dog when the little boy wandered over next to him, hands pulling nervously at the hem of his blue striped shirt. “Is that your dog?” he asked curiously, eyes wide as he looked at the shepherd, “He looks like a police dog, that’s so cool!”

Michael looked down at the boy thoughtfully, turning his eyes back to meet Patch’s. “No, I guess he isn’t my dog, huh?” He sighed, giving the dog one last scratch behind the ears before withdrawing his hand. “Be a good boy, buddy,” he murmured quietly before turning and leaving the kennel.

**Rich watched the exchange with concern in his eyes. _What? No! Michael! I can’t go home with them! I have to get out of here!_ He jumped up against the fencing and barked loudly in protest as he watched Michael walk away. _You can’t leave me here! I can’t go home with a stranger!_ His barking grew louder and became more frantic the farther away the other teen got. _Michael! Come back! I’ll do anything! Please, please, just come back!_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the "mostly" from the tags comes in. Also, because I'm evil, I'm going to leave this right here for a while, even though I could just upload the remainder of the fic right now.


	11. Please

Michael forced himself to keep walking, ignoring the pain in his chest at the thought of leaving the dog that he’d come to think of as his behind. He stopped again at the front desk to have a few words with the woman working there. “You guys microchip dogs, right? Before you let them get adopted?”

The woman nodded, smiling up at him kindly, “Of course. Was there one in particular that you were looking at?”

Michael nodded, “I- I think so. I just need to double-check with my parents before I make anything official. I was hoping I could put a hold on him? Just until tomorrow?”

“Sure, I can do that.” She smiled, pulling out a form and handing it to him, “Just fill this out and we’ll put a note on the kennel.” He quickly signed off on the paperwork and the woman smiled at him again after she finished looking it over. “Alright dear, just come back tomorrow and he’ll be all yours.”

“Thank you so much,” he grinned, waving at her as he left the building. Now for the hard part; convincing his mothers.

* * *

 

Rich paced back and forth whining for a while.  _ Michael just  _ left  _ me here. I thought he wanted me to go home with him. Why else would he even go looking for me?  _ He flopped down onto the bed and stared at the fence miserably.  _ I can’t get adopted by someone else. What if they want me to be an inside dog? I’d never be able to get away from them. _

The woman that had come to feed him around opening time came in to push another bowl of food into his cage. She clipped a sign to the front of the gate and knelt down to look at him through the chain, “You’re in luck, boy. Looks like you should be getting a new home tomorrow. At least you didn’t have to stick around too long.”

Rich quickly jumped up when the woman’s words finally clicked. He ran to the fence after she was gone, trying to see what the sign said, but he wasn’t able to see through the papers in order to read the name of his adopter.  _ They’re going to take me home; that mom and her son are going to take me back to their house and I’ll have to find a way to escape. I’m going to have to deal with my ears and tail being pulled and tiny demon-children trying to ride on my back like I’m some fucking horse. How am I going to get out of this? I can’t let them take me home. If I stay here I’ll end up changing back into a person though. How will I explain that? Do I just let them take me? At least then I could wait until everyone is asleep before changing back and slipping out the door. I could wait until the kid is at school and the mom is at work, assuming the kid isn’t homeschooled and the mom actually does work. What the fuck am I supposed to do? _

* * *

 

Michael took a deep breath, hoping his mothers wouldn’t be too difficult to convince. “I found Patch this afternoon,” he started, forcing himself to continue before they could interrupt. “He was at the pound and my heart broke leaving him there. I- I want to adopt him.” He swallowed, unable to meet their eyes as he rambled, “I know you always say that we aren’t ready for a dog, but I think he’s the one for us. I read a bunch of articles that said that dogs were good for people with anxiety and I think that he really has been good for me and I just- I want to bring him home.” His voice cracked slightly but he forced himself to keep going, “Please say yes. I’ll do all the work and I’ll take care of him and everything, just say yes.  _ Please _ .”

They shared a look and his mom stood, moving to wrap her arms around his shoulders comfortingly. “Michael, love, we’ve seen just how good that dog has been for you. I think he’s helped you a lot and if your mother agrees, I don’t have any problems with making Patch an official Mell.”

Michael turned to stare at his mother pleadingly, putting on his best puppy eyes to try and sway her. She sighed, getting up to ruffle his hair fondly, “You might want to get going if you want to pick up all of his dog supplies before the shop closes, sweetheart.”

Michael smiled widely, hugging his moms tightly before grabbing his keys and rushing out of the house, yelling a loud thank you over his shoulder.


	12. Lost and Found

The next morning, Rich refused to do so much as get up from his dog bed in the corner. He wouldn’t eat. He wouldn’t go outside when an employee tried to take him. By that afternoon, four separate employees had tried to take him out and three more tried to feed him only to give up. He barely moved all day until an employee came in to drag him to the small vet’s office in the rear of the building. He pulled half-heartedly against the lead and whined, but there was really no more reason to fight anymore. He was going to have to get out of the shelter somehow and going along with the adoption seemed like the easiest escape route. They probably just wanted to do a final check before sending him off with his new ‘family’. They lifted him up onto the exam table, and conducted a quick examination of his shoulders and legs, presumably to make sure he hadn’t injured himself somehow. Then one of the doctors pinched the spot between his shoulders, “Now, you can’t go missing again boy. Your owner will be able to find you if you disappear again.”

Rich felt a sharp poke in the skin where they were pinching before the words sunk in.  _ Chipping?! Shit! They’re going to be able to track me, and then I’m going to be found out!  _ He whimpered and squirmed as they finished chipping him. They wrapped a collar around the his throat and clipped a leash to it, opening a door to lead him toward the front desk.

* * *

 

Michael had just signed the final adoption form when the door to the small clinic opened and a familiar German shepherd was lead out. He bit his lip as he noticed how upset the dog looked and he hoped he’d perk up when he realized what was really happening. He set the pen back on the counter and knelt down, waiting for the dog to notice him.

Rich didn’t want to see the family he was supposed to be going home with. When there was no squealing children and no tiny running footsteps, he finally decided to risk looking up. His eyes locked on the teen in the red hoodie kneeling on the floor and the German Shepherd lunged forward, yanking the leash out of the employee’s hand and tackling Michael, licking at his face excitedly.  _ MICHAEL! I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO LEAVE ME! I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’RE HERE! YOU DON’T KNOW HOW HAPPY I AM TO SEE YOU! _

Michael laughed, petting as much of the excited dog as he could get his hands on before pushing his muzzle away, trying to escape the face-licks and force himself back up and into a seated position. “Alright, alright; good boy. You’re happy to see me, I get it.” He smiled, scratching behind Patch’s ears as he started finally calming down. “You ready to go home, buddy?”

Rich backed off and panted, barking in response.  _ Yes! Please get me out of here! _ He danced in place, waiting for Michael to lead him out.  _ Let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go! I’m starving! _

Michael chuckled at the dog’s impatience, “Okay, buddy; home it is. I’d be willing to bet you’re ready for some decent food.” He picked up the dog’s lead, letting the dog drag him over to the door and then out to his car. He opened the door to the back seat for Patch before going around to the driver’s side and starting the car.

Rich could not be happier to climb into Michael’s car. Before the teen could even back out, Rich had climbed his way into the front seat, grinning happily at Michael and hoping he would say he could stay. After finding out he hadn’t actually been abandoned, Rich wasn’t about to let himself be separated from Michael that easily.

Michael rolled his eyes, rolling down the passenger window for the dog before putting the Cruiser in reverse and backing out of the parking lot. He kept his eyes on the road as he navigated the car back towards the house, but every now and then he’d reach over and scratch behind the dog’s ears or ruffle his fur.

Rich stuck his head out the window, happy to feel the wind on his face. His tongue hung out in the breeze. Whenever Michael reached over, Rich ducked back into the car to appreciate the attention before returning to the window.

Michael chuckled at his dog’s antics before his attention was caught by a song on the radio. “Shit, I fucking  _ have _ to, don’t I?” He grumbled to himself, turning up the radio so Whitney Houston was blaring through the stereo. “When the night falls, the loneliness calls,” Michael sang along to the song, not caring that he probably looked like a dork to any other drivers that might’ve seen him.

Rich watched Michael for a second when he started singing. This was one of his favorite things, watching Michael jam out and sing along to his favorite music.  _ I might regret acknowledging this, but at least Michael won’t know human me actually knows this song. _ Rich tipped his head back and howled along as the chorus played.

Michael chuckled as Patch joined in, “ _ Oh, I wanna dance with somebody. I wanna feel the heat with somebody. Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody- with somebody who loves me! _ ” He waited for a pause in the lyrics before reaching over and ruffling his ears, “You’re a hell of a singer, buddy,” he teased.

Rich was happy that Michael got a kick out of his howling, licking at Michael’s hand when he reached over.  _ Not half bad yourself Mell. I know you’re kidding, but I’m not. _ He continued quietly howling during the verses before reaching full volume during the chorus.

Michael laughed, belting out the last note and holding it, even after the actual vocals faded out. He pulled into the driveway, stopping the car as the next song started. “We should start a band, bud,” he teased, getting out of the car and holding the door open for the dog. As soon as he was out, Michael lead him through the front door and up to his room, curious to see his response when he saw all of the stuff that Michael had gotten for him.

Rich jumped out of the car and pranced around, happy to be ‘home’ and no longer in the pound. He padded into the house and up the stairs to Michael’s room. He pushed the door open and stopped as he noticed the new objects. He curiously wandered over to the dog bed on the floor, sniffing it. He sniffed at the toys as well, tail wagging.  _ Did you really do all of this for me? Michael… I feel so bad. I don’t want to have to disappear after all of this. _

Michael grinned as he watched the shepherd explore, “I figured you probably won’t use that bed much, since you seemed to really like sleeping up here with me, but I thought I’d give you the option.” He reached into the pocket of his hoodie and withdrew the collar he’d purchased, “I also got this for you; maybe with this on, you won’t get picked up by animal control again.”

Rich whined and sat at Michael’s feet, waiting for him to attach the collar.  _ I wish I didn’t have to go home and change back… I can make it one more day. I’ll go after you leave for school tomorrow. _ Once the collar was around his neck, he hopped up on Michael’s bed, curling up and sighing.

“I hope you’re happy here, Patch.” Michael smiled, petting Patch’s ears for a moment before turning to go change into a pair of pajamas. 

The German Shepherd rolled over on his back, exposing his belly, tongue hanging out the side of his mouth.

Michael chuckled at his dog’s goofy expression before turning away and pulling his hoodie and shirt off, before pulling on his sleep pants. He turned back to the dog, raising an eyebrow when he still hadn’t moved, “You good?”

The pup whined and pawed at the air.  _ Come on, after all I’ve been through, the least you can do is scratch my belly. _

He rolled his eyes, making his way over and scratching at his stomach, right at the spot that’d get the dog’s leg kicking uncontrollably. Michael sat down on the bed next to him, petting his stomach until he seemed contented before climbing over him and settling into his spot on the bed, laying down and getting ready to go to sleep.

Rich sighed when Michael stopped rubbing his belly. He stood up and climbed across the bed, curling up with the other teen.  _ Sleep good Michael. _

Michael hummed contentedly, rolling onto his side and slinging an arm over Patch’s side. He curled up against him and closed his eyes, falling asleep.


	13. Revelations

Michael shifted slightly, trying to avoid actually waking up by pressing his face tighter against the warm figure curled against his chest. His brows furrowed at the realization that he wasn’t alone in his bed and his eyes blinked open, taking in the bare expanse of freckled skin littered with fading burns and his mind stopped. He slowly unwound his arms from Rich’s waist, shifting away as he tried to think back to the night prior, struggling to come up with an explanation as to why Rich was naked in his bed.

Rich sighed subconsciously as he felt Michael snuggle into him, but his contented state didn’t last long as the heat against his back vanished suddenly. Rich groaned and opened his eyes, blinking himself awake and rolling over to see why Michael had moved. The stunned look on Michael’s face was what finally shook Rich out of his sleep-driven stupor. The shapeshifter sat up as realization hit him, eyes wide as he scrambled back slightly. “Michael! I-I can explain! I didn-... I was-... I-” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, faltering slightly as he realized the collar was still around his neck.

Michael sat back, propping himself up against the headboard as he stared at Rich, eyes catching on his dog’s collar buckled around Rich’s neck. “Yeah? You can explain?” He huffed, running a hand through his hair as he tried to think of any possible explanation that sounded less crazy than the one he’d thought of, “Go ahead then.”

Rich swallowed hard. “I… I guess it'll be easier to show you.” He sighed, shaking as he rolled onto his stomach, slowly shifting into the German Shepherd that Michael knew. His tail tucked between his legs and his ears flattened back against his skull.  _ I'm sorry, _ he whimpered _ ,  _ jumping down onto the floor and lowering his head guiltily.

He rolled off the bed, getting to his feet and running a hand through his hair as he struggled to process what he’d just seen. “Fuck, I am  _ not  _ high enough for this,” he muttered, shaking his head wearily. His gaze dropped to meet Rich’s, “You can stop looking at me like a kicked puppy,” Michael paused, wincing at the choice of words, “Like I just punched you or something. I’m not mad. Confused as hell, yeah, but not mad.”

Rich lifted his head, tail still lowered and ears flattened guiltily. He turned his eyes away from Michael.  _ I should probably just go. It'll be easier if I stay out of your hair. _ He padded to the door and pawed at it, hoping Michael would let him out so he could just get lost, permanently this time.

“I don’t think so, dude. We’re talking about this, so get your fuzzy little ass back here.” Michael shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Rich groaned.  _ How about we don't and say we did? I like that idea much better. I can't exactly talk like this.  _ He turned around and looked at Michael from the corner of his eye. He huffed, waiting to see what Michael said. Having a conversation while standing naked in front of his shirtless crush didn't sound all that appealing to him. Normally, he would be  _ so  _ fucking down for that, but this situation was anything but a good time.

“So, you’re my dog then, huh?” Michael snorted and then his eyes went wide, “Fuck, I was literally  _ talking to you _ about liking you.” He shook his head, “You know, on second thought, let’s never talk about any of this ever again.”

Rich's head perked up as Michael realized what he had said. He shook his head,  _ Oh no, we’re talking about that whether you like it or not. You might have to wait until I'm human and dressed to actually talk, but we’re definitely talking about  _ **_that_ ** _. _ He sat, tail thumping on the floor and barked at him, hoping it was positive enough of a response. He then noticed Michael's closet door open and ran to grab the jacket he had lent to him. The shepherd dropped it on the floor by Michael and nosed it closer to him.  _ Remember this? It was a set up; I took your jacket so I could give you mine.  _

Michael followed his gaze, “Your jacket? What about it..?” He paused as realization hit him, “You sneaky little shit. You planned that, didn’t you?” Michael huffed, turning away from the dog and dropping face-first back onto his bed. “Whatever. You can grab whatever you want out of my closet, but neither of us are leaving until we figure out what we’re going to do about this.”

Rich whimpered as he watched Michael turn away from him. He slowly made his way back to Michael's closet, finding a t-shirt and pair of jeans that would probably fit him. He picked them up and ducked into the bathroom and pushed the door closed. It took him several minutes to change back and get dressed, and he admittedly lingered in the bathroom trying to debate how to start this conversation for longer than he probably should’ve. He slowly stepped back into the main room, dragging his feet as he moved to sit on the edge of Michael's bed. He had to force the lump from his throat before he could speak. “I never should’ve bothered you or followed you home in the first place. I'm sorry I started this mess.”

Michael sighed, sitting up so he could look Rich in the eye, “I already told you I’m not mad, so you don’t need to keep apologizing. I’m more confused than anything, honestly.” He chuckled, “Well, confused and embarrassed, but I’m choosing to set that aside for the time being. Just, uh, start from the beginning, I guess?”

“Like how I got like this or what?” Rich chuckled back, trying to keep the mood light. He rubbed the back of his neck, realizing that the collar was still there. He reached behind his neck to undo the clasp, looking at the collar before handing it to Michael.

“Sure, if that’s what you want me to know.” Michael replied, running the pads of his fingers over the stitching of the collar absentmindedly, “I’m just trying to understand, so you can tell me whatever you want to.”

The shapeshifter shrugged, “Um, I was born like this, but my dad and brother don't know. My mom was one too. She taught me how to control it before she died when I was 11. After that, I had to practice in secret without my dad or brother around. It kind of became my escape when I couldn't handle being around my dad anymore.” Rich bit his lip, taking a deep breath and sighing. “That's why I came up to you that first time. I was mostly just staying away from home, and I knew I could trust you to take care of me while I was like that.”

Michael looked down at the collar in his hands, “I can understand using it as an escape, but why did you keep coming back? You could’ve left whenever you wanted and I would’ve just been the guy who thought you were a stray. You didn’t have to stay.”

Rich felt his cheeks warming up. “I liked being with you. It was fun and comfortable, I guess.” He looked away and stared at the floor.

“Right. Fun.” Michael sighed, setting aside the collar and getting up to track down his hoodie. He kept his eyes cast to the side, even after he’d put up his red fleece-lined walls, “Look, we can just pretend this never happened. We go back to being acquaintances or whatever we were, I’ll pretend that I don’t know that you can turn into a dog, and you pretend that I didn’t tell you I had a crush on you. It can all go back to normal.”

“But…” he started, red creeping down his neck and up to the tips of his ears, “What if I don't want to go back to normal?” He swallowed hard, fidgeting and chewing his lip.

Michael snorted derisively, “Why wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t have to deal with my stupid feelings or the fact that I knew your little secret.” He huffed, sitting down on the edge of his bed and lying back to look up at the ceiling, “You don’t have to worry; I won’t tell anyone that you got stuck in my hoodie,” he teased, trying to make light of the situation. His laughter faded after a moment as a new thought struck, “Oh God, you saw me basically naked.”

“Why else do you think I would have shoved my head in the toilet?! It was not a pleasant experience I will have you know!” Rich ran a hand through his hair, “To be fair, you did see me actually naked earlier, so is there really any reason to freak out about that?” He shook his head and sighed, “I know you won’t tell anyone. I can trust you. If I had to trust my secret with someone, I’m glad it’s you.”

Michael snorted, “That is so much funnier now that I realize you aren’t just a dog,” he chuckled softly. “But yeah, um, still kind of freaked out by the you seeing me shirtless now that I realize that was a thing that happened. I, uh, don’t really like attention; why do you think I’m always in an oversized hoodie?”

Rich pursed his lips, “I can understand. I’m glad you are getting a kick out of this though.” His eyes widened and he quickly slipped toward Michael’s closet. “Your mom is coming. We have school.”

Michael rolled his eyes and dragged the covers up over his torso, forcing out a couple of ragged coughs as his mother opened the door. He raised his head slowly, blinking like he’d just woken up. “Mom?” he rasped, “What time is it?” He turned his gaze to the clock and acted like he’d just noticed the time, “Crap, I gotta- I gotta-” 

He stumbled as he tried to get up and his mother rushed to his side, pressing him back into the bed. “No you don’t, Michael. You look like you’re pretty sick, so just stay home today, okay? You’ve had a rough few days, so the least you can do is take one off. I’ll call the school on my way out, you just get some sleep, alright?” Michael nodded slowly, closing his eyes as he lowered his head back to the pillow. His mother placed a fond kiss on his temple before leaving the room. 

Michael’s eyes shot back open as the door closed and he sat up quickly, shaking his head. “Works every damn time.”

Rich slowly pushed the door open, leaning on the doorframe. He gave a quiet, slow clap. “And I thought I was the sly dog. I can’t believe she fell for that.” He chuckled and walked back out to sit on the edge of Michael’s bed. “Sorry. That wasn’t nearly enough time to change back. Just glad she didn’t check for me.”

“It’s fine. I don’t usually get sick unless it’s really bad, so when I actually act sick that’s when they tend to worry.” He shrugged, “I doubt she even thought about it; she probably figured I’d just let you out during the night.” He grinned mischievously, “What was it you were saying about school?”

Rich rolled his eyes, “I guess nothing. Looks like that takes care of one problem.” He smiled, “So, I guess we have a lot to talk about. Where should we start?” He flopped back on Michael’s bed, putting his hands behind his head.

“I guess I should start out by apologizing for not putting clothes on before carrying you around that one time,” Michael joked, trying to get away from the topic of his insecurities by making light of the past.

Rich smirked, “Hey, you don’t hear me complaining. I’m never going to complain about being pressed up against a hot naked guy’s chest.” He chuckled and winked playfully at Michael. He sighed, “I should apologize for forcing my jacket on you, and breaking into your locker, and making you text me on Friday night.”

“First of all, I was only one of those things and it definitely wasn’t the first one. Second, stop making fun of me,” Michael rolled his eyes, “Third, I probably should’ve expected it after I said no to wearing your jacket the first time; you’re not someone who gives up on anything easily.” Michael burst out laughing as he remembered the text that he had sent Rich. “You never got to see that text, did you?”

Rich shook his head, “Nope, I haven’t been home since… Friday morning? Not that anyone noticed, but yeah, haven’t had my phone since then. For the record, I wasn’t teasing you; I meant what I said.” He laughed and ran a hand through his hair.

Michael shook his head, “You’re a dork.” He sat up, leaning over Rich to grab his phone off of the nightstand and open their text conversation. He tossed the phone to him before laying back down, “You can say whatever you want, doesn’t mean I’m going to trust your lies and reverse-slander, Goranski.”

“Just because you don’t believe it, doesn’t mean it isn’t true, Mell.” Rich looked at the text and laughed, “Well, I wonder what my answer could have been? Hmm… let me mull that over while I chase a ball and wag my tail.”

“Dunno, you’re kinda bitchy sometimes, so probably a cat person, right?” Michael teased, rolling onto his side to look at Rich.

“Yeah, I absolutely love Satan incarnate.” He smirked and threw the phone back. “Okay, smartass, how were you going to continue the conversation, huh?”

“I was going to send you a photo of my adorable dog in my hoodie, if you’d said you liked dogs,” Michael replied, chuckling, “Guess that wouldn’t have gone over well, huh?”

Rich chuckled, “I probably would have told you I’d look just as cute and we should test that theory.” He pushed himself up to lean against the wall, smiling at Michael.

Michael raised an eyebrow, “What, you’d have asked to wear my hoodie?”

Rich rolled his eyes, “Yeah, but would you have let me?”

“Probably,” Michael shrugged. “I mean, I’ve already admitted that I like you, so what do I have to lose?”

“Your hoodie for one, but I mean, I guess you could keep it half the time,” Rich teased.

Michael chuckled, “Oh great; shared custody of  _ my _ hoodie. Didn’t think I’d be losing it until after I ended up with a boyfriend.”

Rich laughed, “I mean, that can be arranged. I kind of thought that’s what you were going for, but if you’d rather not…”

“Wait, did you just-” Michael paused incredulously, “Offer to date me in exchange for my hoodie?”

Rich smirked, “Not exactly. I thought the conversation had already moved into the dating category. Your hoodie was just a perk.”

Michael blinked, “I was still stuck at the part where I thought you were only flirting with me to mess with my head.”

Rich pursed his lips. “Michael… I stole your hoodie just so I could put my  _ only jacket _ in your locker… and then told you to keep it for as long as you want  _ while  _ warning you that a storm was rolling in and you might need it… and you have a car… and I walk everywhere… Do you see any kind of reason I might give you my only jacket when a storm was rolling in?” He smirked and raised his eyebrow, waiting for the pieces to fall into place.

Michael sighed, covering his face with his hands, “Sorry I just thought that was how  _ normal _ friendship works! I’ve literally gone ninety-eight percent of my life with  _ one  _ friend, so it’s not like I really have much experience.”

“I mean, you and Jeremy are kind of those friends that everyone assumes are gay for each other, but I guess I’ve learned otherwise.” Rich chuckled, “Well, we have established that I like you and you like me. So are we going to do something about it, or is this situation just too weird for that?”

“Holy shit, I’m dating my dog.” Michael laughed, “This is weird for you too, right? I’m not the only one thinking this is kind of weird? I can get over it if I’m not the only one freaking out.”

Rich smiled, “You realize that I’ve had my whole life to come to terms with the fact that whoever I end up with will technically be my significant other and my owner, right? That’s the only reason I’m unaffected.” He shook his head, “Yeah, it’s kind of odd to think about in too much detail, but it’s more that the ‘owner’ thing is a cover than anything else.”

“Speaking of which, what exactly are we going to say when my moms never see my dog and my boyfriend in the same room?” Michael replied, nodding along to what Rich had said.

Rich pursed his lips, “I have no idea. I mean if I’m in dog form, just say I went home, but there’s really not much to do about me being human and the dog not being here.”

Michael shrugged, “Well, I guess we can figure out a cover story when the time comes. What did you want to do now? I mean, I guess we’ve got the whole day to ourselves since we’re ditching school.”

Rich smirked, swinging a leg over Michael’s waist and leaning down so their faces were closer. “I have some ideas,” he grinned, pressing his lips to Michael’s.


End file.
